Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-15
STYLES IN COFFIyS,
Some Startling and Elk ravagant Ideas for
Deceased Babies.

Some Startling and Elk ravagant Ideas for
Deceased Babies.
Philadelphia Record.
There are fashions in everything nova
days, even in funerals, and as there are
styles in garments, so also are there
styles in coffins. One would think that
the melancholy duty of buryiDg the dead
would be beyond the dictates of fashion
to which nearly everything else'in. this
world is forced to bow, but a stroll
through the Warerooms of some large
manufacturing undertaken would, quickly
convince the doubter thst even the house
OF mourniCg is ruled by the Funyieldirg
hand of what the world Calls fashion.
Fashion said once that he who would be
in style must be buried in a casket
of beautifully polished rosewood
or other rare and costly wood with mas
siVe handles and trimmings Of silver.
Then nothing buc slim purse suggested
g departure from the ruling style. Now
fashion SAYS that q Ca>keC neatly and
plainly covered with black ClGth Is the
only really proper burial case, and that
this decree Is as imperative as al others
from the same source. Between these
two extremes there have been many in
termediate patterns, and tickle fashion
will probably one day again order q
change, and then the sOmber Casket of
today will be thing Of the past and IT.
TevoCaOlY tout of style"
A NILE GREEN AND AN OLD GOLD CASKEF.
II is only in Baskets for infants and
young people that anything ike latitude
is permitted, and even then it is prinCi-
paly as regards color. White or the
universal black are the COlOrS prescribed,
the former being that most used. For
those who are bold enough to disregard
the mandates Of fashion, there are q
great variety of styles and COlOrs avail
able, some of them so novel as to be al
most startling. rCr instance, an enter
prising New York undertaken created
quite g sensation the other day by con-
spiCuously displaying IN his window q
casket covered with plush OF The delicate
shade known as Nile green, and by its
side another covered with light blue vel
vet Without going 70 such extremes,
there are a great variety of shades and
patterns of covering material. There are
pushes. VelVets and plain cloths IN black,
brown, blue, old gold and numerous in
termediate shades. Embossed and fig
ured pushes are even included in tie list
of coverings.
It is interesting to note the changes
and improvements that have taken place
in the manufacture of Casket8 daring the
last three or four decades. There was d
time within the m mory of cOffinmakers
row living when the only collins and
Caskets IN use were such as could be
made in the day or TWO intervening be-
tween the death and burial of the in
tended inmate. In those days the
facilities for manufacturing in country
towns were very crude, and purchasers
often thought themselves fortunate if
they could succeed in getting a coffin OF
the simplest and plalnest kind. Now,
however, the different parts Of caskets
are manufactured separately and in great
variety, and the undertaken in the most
remote rural village CSn select from his
specimen-bOOk the style of tiQish, the
lining and the fittings, and telegram OF
few words will bring the desired article
complete by the first express.
A DELICATE PART OF THE TRADE.
F'The undertaker's business is neCes-
sariIy a conservative occupation" re-
marked large manufacturer of funeral
goods. "There is practically no limit to
what we might do in the way Of intro
could only talk our goods as other bust
ness men can. The difficulty is, how
ever, that we cannot show new styles
to our customers and urge them to &C
cept them. 1t is too delicate q matter,
and when a customer orders q casket we
have to give what is in general use and
what we know Will suit. We dare not
substitute any new idea. Here in Pnila-
delphia but very few people ever think of
going to an uudertaker's establishment
and looking al different styles. The IN
dertaker is usually given instructions to
furnish a casket suitable for such and
such person and for given price. Out
west, however, 1t is different. There
customers go and look ct samples, Just as
If they were purchasing any other goods
They would no more think OF buying 8
casket without looking at it than suit OF
clothes or q bonnet"